urcia discovered 11 new hills with ancient formations near the prehistoric site of Gobeklitepe, crowned as the world’s first temple in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa.
“We have discovered 11 more large hills on a 100-kilometer line around Göbeklitepe,” Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said at an event in Sanliurfa on Sunday. He added that the area will now be called “12 hills”.
Speaking to reporters, Ersoy said a “major study” of the hills was about to be completed and would be presented in September.
He said the area could even be called “the pyramids in southeastern Turkey”. “When you look at Mesopotamia, this region has a unique culture. It has its own registered gastronomy. There are many products. And when you combine that with its unique archaeological value, it’s a wonderful thing,” he added.
Göbeklitepe has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2011. It was opened in 1963 and is staffed by researchers from the universities of Istanbul and Chicago.
In a collaborative effort that has continued at the site since 1995, the German Archaeological Institute and the Sanliurfa Museum have discovered T-obelisks from the Neolithic era, towering 3 to 6 meters high and weighing 40-60 tons.
During the excavations, various 12,000-year-old artifacts were discovered, such as human statues with a height of 65 centimeters.
